La linea sottile tra architettura e scultura The sculpture village (1987), Frank Gehry e Anthony Caro

Frank Gehry (Toronto, 1929) um dos mais debatidos arquitetos contemporâneos, é considerado um dos expoentes máximos do desconstrutivismo arquitetónico. Trabalha a decomposição dos edifícios em diferentes unidades volumétricas, recorrendo para isso à combinação de materiais pouco comuns – como rede metálica, chapa ondulada ou mesmo complexas ligas à base de titânio –, e a práticas que remetem para as técnicas do collage artístico. Partindo destas premissas, procura-se neste artigo refletir acerca da sua abordagem da relação entre arquitetura e escultura, a partir de um projeto pouco conhecido, o Sculpture Village, realizado em 1987 em colaboração com artistas de renome mundial – entre os quais Anthony Caro e Jon Isherwood –, no quadro de um workshop organizado pela rede internacional de artistas Triangle Artists em 1987. Neste projeto, que acabou por ser demolido pouco tempo depois da sua conclusão, a escultura é protagonista, mesmo se concebida em termos arquitetónicos. Assim, através de entrevistas, textos e fotografias fornecidas diretamente pelos participantes e pelos organizadores do evento acerca deste projeto, os autores propõem uma reflexão acerca da relação entre escultura e arquitetura que possa lançar pistas para uma mais abrangente leitura do trabalho de Gehry.Frank Gehry (Toronto, 1929) is considered one of the key figures of architectural deconstructivism and is one of the most discussed contemporary architects. Above all, he developed an interest in the process of building’s decomposition into different volumetric units, made using the combination of different and unusual materials – from the metal mesh, to the corrugated sheet, up to complex titanium-based alloys – and according to practices that recall the technique of artistic collage. With these statements, this article we tried to understand his approach towards the relationship between architecture and sculpture starting from an almost unknown project, the Sculpture Village, built in 1987 in collaboration with worldwide known artists, including Anthony Caro, Jon Isherwood, in the frame of a workshop promoted by the international network of artists Triangle Artists. In this project, demolished shortly after it was completed, sculpture is the protagonist, conceived in architectural terms. Through interviews, texts and photographs provided directly by participants and founders of the project, the authors started an in-depth analysis on the relationship between sculpture and architecture and a broader understanding of Gehry's work.Frank Gehry (Toronto, 1929) è considerato uno dei massimi esponenti del decostruttivismo architettonico oltre che tra i più discussi architetti contemporanei. Ha sviluppato soprattutto l’interesse verso un processo di scomposizione dell’edificio in unità volumetriche diverse, realizzate ricorrendo spesso all’accostamento di materiali inusuali – dalla rete metallica, alla lamiera ondulata, fino a complesse leghe a base di titanio - e secondo pratiche che ricordano la tecnica del collage artistico. Con queste premesse, in questo articolo si è cercato di fare una riflessione sul suo approccio nei confronti della relazione tra architettura e scultura a partire da un progetto poco conosciuto, lo «sculpture village», realizzato nel 1987 in collaborazione con artisti di rilevanza mondiale – tra cui Anthony Caro, Jon Isherwood - nell’ambito di un workshop organizzato dalla rete internazionale di artisti “Triangle Artists”. In questo progetto, demolito poco dopo la realizzazione, la scultura è protagonista, concepita in termini architettonici. Tramite interviste, testi e fotografie forniti direttamente dai partecipanti e dai fondatori del progetto, gli autori hanno dato vita ad un’analisi approfondita sulla relazione tra scultura e architettura, ed a una comprensione più ampia del lavoro di Gehry

Eficácia da Suplementação de citrulina para diminuir o risco de hipertensão pulmonar após cirurgia de cardiopatia congênita: Uma experiência local

Pulmonary hypertension (PH) is a major cause of morbi-mortality among patients with congenital heart disease (CHD) and also a potentially severe complication after surgical repair. Oral citrulline, a precursor to NO synthesis, is safe and efficacious for decreasing the risk of postoperative PH. Objective: The aim of the present study was to investigate in pediatric patients the changes of plasma citrulline, arginine, homocysteine and nitric oxide (NO) metabolites and pulmonary artery pressures (PAP) pre-post cardiac surgery in order to describe our population status with regard to the risk of pulmonary hypertension and look for potential biomarkers for early detection and treatment. Main results/Discussion: 16 Argentine pediatric patients with CHD undergoing cardiopulmonary bypass were randomized in two groups: (A) with and (B) without perioperative citrulline supplementation. We found that plasma citrulline median levels before surgery were lower in both groups respect to referential values, probably due to the poor nutritional status of our patients; only group A surpassed post-surgery the minimum recommended level to avoid PH. Furthermore, none of the patients in group A showed mean PAP higher than 20 mmHg, whereas in group B, 67% of the measurements were ≥ than the reference level. Conclusions: We reaffirm that citrulline supplementation it is effective in reducing postoperative pulmonary hypertension and biomarkers could evidence patient status as a translational medicine application.La hipertensión pulmonar (HP) es una causa importante de morbimortalidad entre pacientes con cardiopatía congénita (CHD) y también una complicación potencialmente grave después de la reparación quirúrgica. La citrulina oral, precursora de la síntesis de óxido nítrico, es segura y eficaz para disminuir el riesgo postoperatorio de HP. Objetivo: El presente estudio tuvo como objetivo investigar en pacientes pediátricos los cambios plasmáticos de los metabolitos citrulina, arginina, homocisteína y óxido nítrico y la presión arterial pulmonar (PAP) antes y después de la cirugía cardíaca para describir el estado de nuestra población con respecto al riesgo de HP y buscar posibles biomarcadores para su detección y tratamiento temprano. Resultados principales / Discusión: 16 pacientes pediátricos argentinos con CHD sometidos a bypass cardiopulmonar fueron aleatorizados en dos grupos: (A) con y (B) sin suplementación perioperatoria de citrulina. Encontramos que los niveles medios de citrulina en plasma antes de la cirugía fueron más bajos en ambos grupos con respecto a los valores referenciales, probablemente debido a un estado nutricional deficiente de nuestros pacientes; solo el grupo A superó el nivel mínimo recomendado para evitar la HP. Además, ninguno de los pacientes en el grupo A mostró una PAP media superior a 20mmHg, mientras que en el grupo B, el 67% de las mediciones fue mayor que el nivel de referencia. Conclusiones: Reafirmamos que la suplementación con citrulina es efectiva para reducir la HP postoperatoria y que los biomarcadores podrían evidenciar el estado del paciente como una aplicación de medicina traslacional.A hipertensão pulmonar (HP) é uma das principais causas de morbimortalidade entre pacientes com cardiopatia congênita (DCC) e também uma complicação potencialmente grave após o reparo cirúrgico. A citrulina oral, precursora da síntese do NO, é segura e eficaz para diminuir o risco de HP pós-operatória. Objetivo: O objetivo do presente estudo foi investigar em pacientes pediátricos as alterações dos metabólitos plasmáticos da citrulina, arginina, homocisteína e óxido nítrico (NO) e pressões da artéria pulmonar (PAP) pré-pós-cirurgia cardíaca, a fim de descrever nosso status populacional com com relação ao risco de hipertensão pulmonar e procure potenciais biomarcadores para detecção e tratamento precoces. Principais resultados / Discussão: 16 pacientes pediátricos argentinos com DCC submetidos à circulação extracorpórea foram randomizados em dois grupos: (A) com e (B) sem suplementação peri-operatória de citrulina. Descobrimos que os níveis médios de citrulina plasmática antes da cirurgia eram menores nos dois grupos em relação aos valores referenciais, provavelmente devido ao mau estado nutricional de nossos pacientes; somente o grupo A superou no pós-operatório o nível mínimo recomendado para evitar HP. Além disso, nenhum dos pacientes do grupo A apresentou PAP média superior a 20 mmHg, enquanto no grupo B, 67% das medidas foram ≥ acima do nível de referência. Conclusões: Reafirmamos que a suplementação com citrulina é eficaz na redução da hipertensão pulmonar no pósoperatório e os biomarcadores podem evidenciar o status do paciente como aplicação de medicamento translacional.Fil: Silvera Ruiz, Silene Maite. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Facultad de Medicina. Centro de Estudios de las Metabolopatías Congénitas; Argentina. Gobierno de la Provincia de Cordoba. Ministerio de Salud. Hospital de Niños de la Santísima Trinidad; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Córdoba; ArgentinaFil: Grosso, Carola L.. Gobierno de la Provincia de Cordoba. Ministerio de Salud. Hospital de Niños de la Santísima Trinidad; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Facultad de Medicina. Centro de Est.de Las Metabolopatias Congenitas. Cátedra de Clinica Pediatrica; ArgentinaFil: Tablada, Margot. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Facultad de Ciencias Agropecuarias; ArgentinaFil: Cabrera, Marcelo. Gobierno de la Provincia de Cordoba. Ministerio de Salud. Hospital de Niños de la Santísima Trinidad; ArgentinaFil: Dodelson de Kremer, Raquel. Gobierno de la Provincia de Cordoba. Ministerio de Salud. Hospital de Niños de la Santísima Trinidad; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Facultad de Medicina. Centro de Est.de Las Metabolopatias Congenitas. Cátedra de Clinica Pediatrica; ArgentinaFil: Juaneda, Ernesto. Gobierno de la Provincia de Cordoba. Ministerio de Salud. Hospital de Niños de la Santísima Trinidad; ArgentinaFil: Laróvere, Laura Elena. Gobierno de la Provincia de Cordoba. Ministerio de Salud. Hospital de Niños de la Santísima Trinidad; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Facultad de Medicina. Centro de Est.de Las Metabolopatias Congenitas. Cátedra de Clinica Pediatrica; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Córdoba; Argentin

Identification and functional analyses of CBS alleles in Spanish and Argentinian homocystinuric patients

Homocystinuria due to CBS deficiency is a rare autosomal recessive disorder characterized by elevated plasma levels of homocysteine (Hcy) and methionine (Met). Here we present the analysis of 22 unrelated patients of different geographical origins, mainly Spanish and Argentinian. Twenty‐two different mutations were found, 10 of which were novel. Five new mutations were missense and five were deletions of different sizes, including a 794‐bp deletion (c.532−37_736 + 438del794) detected by Southern blot analysis. To assess the pathogenicity of these mutations, seven were expressed heterologously in Escherichia coli and their enzyme activities were assayed in vitro, in the absence and presence of the CBS activators PLP and SAM. The presence of the mutant proteins was confirmed by Western blotting. Mutations p.M173del, p.I278S, p.D281N, and p.D321V showed null activity in all conditions tested, whereas mutations p.49L, p.P200L and p.A446S retained different degrees of activity and response to stimulation. Finally, a minigene strategy allowed us to demonstrate the pathogenicity of an 8‐bp intronic deletion, which led to the skipping of exon 6. In general, frameshifting deletions correlated with a more severe phenotype, consistent with the concept that missense mutations may recover enzymatic activity under certain conditions

Identification and functional analyses of CBS alleles in Spanish and Argentinian homocystinuric patients

Homocystinuria due to CBS deficiency is a rare autosomal recessive disorder characterized by elevated plasma levels of homocysteine (Hcy) and methionine (Met). Here we present the analysis of 22 unrelated patients of different geographical origins, mainly Spanish and Argentinian. Twenty-two different mutations were found, 10 of which were novel. Five new mutations were missense and five were deletions of different sizes, including a 794-bp deletion (c.532-37-736 + 438del794) detected by Southern blot analysis. To assess the pathogenicity of these mutations, seven were expressed heterologously in Escherichia coli and their enzyme activities were assayed in vitro, in the absence and presence of the CBS activators PLP and SAM. The presence of the mutant proteins was confirmed by Western blotting. Mutations p.M173del, p.I278S, p.D281N, and p.D321V showed null activity in all conditions tested, whereas mutations p.49L, p.P200L and p.A446S retained different degrees of activity and response to stimulation. Finally, a minigene strategy allowed us to demonstrate the pathogenicity of an 8-bp intronic deletion, which led to the skipping of exon 6. In general, frameshifting deletions correlated with a more severe phenotype, consistent with the concept that missense mutations may recover enzymatic activity under certain conditions. © 2011 Wiley-Liss, Inc.Fil: Cozar, Mónica. Universidad de Barcelona; EspañaFil: Urreizti, Roser. Universidad de Barcelona; EspañaFil: Vilarinho, Laura. Instituto de Genética Médica Jacinto Magalhaes; PortugalFil: Grosso, Carola. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Facultad de Medicina. Centro de Estudios de las Metabolopatías Congénitas; ArgentinaFil: Dodelson de Kremer, Raquel. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Facultad de Medicina. Centro de Estudios de las Metabolopatías Congénitas; ArgentinaFil: Asteggiano, Carla Gabriela. Gobierno de la Provincia de Córdoba. Ministerio de Salud. Hospital de Niños de la Santísima Trinidad; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; ArgentinaFil: Dalmau, Jaime. Hospital Infantil La Fe; EspañaFil: García, Ana María. Hospital Infantil La Fe; EspañaFil: Vilaseca, María Antonia. Hospital Sant Joan de De ́u; EspañaFil: Grinberg Vaisman, Daniel Raúl. Universidad de Barcelona; EspañaFil: Balcells, Susana. Universidad de Barcelona; Españ

Does Pizza Consumption Favor an Improved Disease Activity in Rheumatoid Arthritis?

To our knowledge, no studies so far have investigated the role of pizza and its ingredients in modulating disease activity in rheumatoid arthritis (RA). We assessed this question via a recent cross-sectional study including 365 participants from Italy, the birthplace of pizza. Multiple robust linear and logistic regression models were fitted with the tertile consumption categories of each available pizza-related food item/group (i.e., pizza, refined grains, mozzarella cheese, and olive oil) as independent variables, and each available RA activity measure (i.e., the Disease Activity Score on 28 joints with C-reactive protein (DAS28-CRP), and the Simplified Disease Activity Index (SDAI)) as the dependent variable. Stratified analyses were carried out according to the disease severity or duration. Participants eating half a pizza >1 time/week (vs. ≤2 times/month) reported beneficial effects on disease activity, with the significant reductions of ~70% (overall analysis), and 80% (the more severe stratum), and the significant beta coefficients of −0.70 for the DAS28-CRP, and −3.6 for the SDAI (overall analysis) and of −1.10 and −5.30 (in long-standing and more severe RA, respectively). Among the pizza-related food items/groups, mozzarella cheese and olive oil showed beneficial effects, especially in the more severe stratum. Future cohort studies are needed to confirm this beneficial effect of pizza and related food items/groups on RA disease activity

P5cdh affects the pathways contributing to pro synthesis after prodh activation by biotic and abiotic stress conditions

Plants facing adverse conditions usually alter proline (Pro) metabolism, generating changes that help restore the cellular homeostasis. These organisms synthesize Pro from glutamate (Glu) or ornithine (Orn) by two-step reactions that share Δ1 pyrroline-5-carboxylate (P5C) as intermediate. In the catabolic process, Pro is converted back to Glu using a different pathway that involves Pro dehydrogenase (ProDH), P5C dehydrogenase (P5CDH), and P5C as intermediate. Little is known about the coordination of the catabolic and biosynthetic routes under stress. To address this issue, we analyzed how P5CDH affects the activation of Pro synthesis, in Arabidopsis tissues that increase ProDH activity by transient exposure to exogenous Pro, or infection with Pseudomonas syringae pv. tomato. Wild-type (Col-0) andp5cdh mutant plants subjected to these treatments were used to monitor the Pro, Glu, and Orn levels, as well as the expression of genes from Pro metabolism. Col-0 and p5cdh tissues consecutively activated ProDH and Pro biosynthetic genes under both conditions. However, they manifested a different coordination between these routes. When external Pro supply was interrupted, wild-type leaves degraded Pro to basal levels at which point Pro synthesis, mainlyvia Glu, became activated. Under the same condition, p5cdh leaves sustained ProDH induction without reducing the Pro content but rather increasing it, apparently by stimulating the Orn pathway. In response to pathogen infection, both genotypes showed similar trends. While Col-0 plants seemed to induce both Pro biosynthetic routes, p5cdh mutant plants may primarily activate the Orn route. Our study contributes to the functional characterization of P5CDH in biotic and abiotic stress conditions, by revealing its capacity to modulate the fate of P5C, and prevalence of Orn or Glu as Pro precursors in tissues that initially consumed Pro.Fil: Rizzi, Yanina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Córdoba. Centro de Investigaciones en Química Biológica de Córdoba. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Facultad de Ciencias Químicas. Centro de Investigaciones en Química Biológica de Córdoba; ArgentinaFil: Monteoliva, Mariela Inés. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Córdoba. Centro de Investigaciones en Química Biológica de Córdoba. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Facultad de Ciencias Químicas. Centro de Investigaciones en Química Biológica de Córdoba; ArgentinaFil: Fabro, Georgina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Córdoba. Centro de Investigaciones en Química Biológica de Córdoba. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Facultad de Ciencias Químicas. Centro de Investigaciones en Química Biológica de Córdoba; ArgentinaFil: Grosso, Carola. Universidad Nacional de Cordoba. Facultad de Medicina. Centro de Estudios de las Metabolopatías Congénitas; ArgentinaFil: Laróvere, Laura Elena. Universidad Nacional de Cordoba. Facultad de Medicina. Centro de Estudios de las Metabolopatías Congénitas; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; ArgentinaFil: Alvarez, Maria Elena. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Córdoba. Centro de Investigaciones en Química Biológica de Córdoba. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Facultad de Ciencias Químicas. Centro de Investigaciones en Química Biológica de Córdoba; Argentin

Impact of Gene rs7422339 Polymorphism in Argentine Patients With Hyperhomocysteinemia

Carbamoyl phosphate synthetase 1 ( CPS1 ) is a key gene in the first step of urea cycle and has been correlated with nitric oxide level and vascular smooth muscle activity. A functional single-nucleotide polymorphism C/A at position 4217 in CPS1 (National Center for Biotechnology Information SNP database no. rs7422339, T1405N) was reported to be associated with high homocysteine (Hcy) plasma values. Although genetic variants of methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase ( MTHFR ) gene are known to influence Hcy concentration, other genetic determinants of Hcy remain largely unknown. The association between the CPS1 rs7422339 and the risk of hyperhomocysteinemia in Latin American populations is unknown. Here, we study this association in 100 patients having hyperhomocysteinemia without MTHFR c.677C>T polymorphism and 100 controls. CPS1 rs7422339 was studied using polymerase chain reaction and enzymatic restriction. Comparisons of the CPS1 rs7422339 genotype distributions revealed a significant difference between groups ( P = 2.3 × 10 −3 ). Patients carrying polymorphic allele showed almost 3 times higher risk (odds ratio [OR] = 2.47) of hyperhomocysteinemia than wild-type allele, suggesting that rs7422339 SNP is associated with high Hcy levels in the Argentine population

Actitudes hacia el amor y estilos de humor en mujeres y varones: ¿nos diferencia el sexo o el género?

Research in positive psychology has countless scientific studies that have explored psychological factors related to wellbeing. However, when differences between men and women are considered, the vast majority of the studies analyze these differences based mostly on biological sex. Variations between men and women are rarely analyzed by the cultural classifier of sex: gender. The present study examines differences in humor styles and attitudes towards love between women and men (n = 620) based on their gender role: either feminine, masculine, androgynous, or undifferentiated. Results show that gender role has an impact on men and women�s attitudes toward love and humor styles, regardless of their biological sex. Also, androgyny was related to healthy aspects of humor, masculinity an aggressive humor style and a ludic (playful) attitude towards love. Results indicate that people differ more so by identifying with a particular gender role than by simply belonging to either sex.La literatura científica en psicología positiva cuenta con innumerables estudios que exploran diversos factores psicológicos relacionados al bienestar. Sin embargo, la mayoría de los estudios, al consideran diferencias entre mujeres y varones, suelen analizarlas basándose en el sexo como categoría biológica, sin tomar al género, como categoría cultural. El presente estudio analiza diferencias en los estilos de humor y las actitudes hacia el amor de mujeres y varones en función de su rol de género: femenino, masculino, andrógino o indiferenciado. Se encontró que el rol de género tiene impacto sobre las actitudes hacia el amor y los estilos de humor de las personas independientemente de su sexo. La androginia se relacionó con aspectos saludables del humor, la masculinidad con un estilo agresivo del humor y lúdico en el amor. Los resultados revelan que las personas se diferencian más por su rol de género que por su sexo

Does Pizza Consumption Favor an Improved Disease Activity in Rheumatoid Arthritis?

o our knowledge, no studies so far have investigated the role of pizza and its ingredients in modulating disease activity in rheumatoid arthritis (RA). We assessed this question via a recent cross-sectional study including 365 participants from Italy, the birthplace of pizza. Multiple robust linear and logistic regression models were fitted with the tertile consumption categories of each available pizza-related food item/group (i.e., pizza, refined grains, mozzarella cheese, and olive oil) as independent variables, and each available RA activity measure (i.e., the Disease Activity Score on 28 joints with C-reactive protein (DAS28-CRP), and the Simplified Disease Activity Index (SDAI)) as the dependent variable. Stratified analyses were carried out according to the disease severity or duration. Participants eating half a pizza >1 time/week (vs. ≤2 times/month) reported beneficial effects on disease activity, with the significant reductions of ~70% (overall analysis), and 80% (the more severe stratum), and the significant beta coefficients of −0.70 for the DAS28-CRP, and −3.6 for the SDAI (overall analysis) and of −1.10 and −5.30 (in long-standing and more severe RA, respectively). Among the pizza-related food items/groups, mozzarella cheese and olive oil showed beneficial effects, especially in the more severe stratum. Future cohort studies are needed to confirm this beneficial effect of pizza and related food items/groups on RA disease activity